DVD Prime vs. 20th Ann. Prime

Just when I thought I had missed the boat on the super-cheap clearanced DVD Primes, I luckily found one for $19 at one of the last WMs in my area that still has them. They had marked them down from $50 to $30 a couple weeks ago, and, knocked them down again to $19 just the other day. I just love getting awesome TFs at great prices.

Anyway, prior to comparing him side-by-side with my 20th Ann. Prime I got a few years ago, I was under the impression that the only real difference, bot-wise, was the color scheme. Much to my dismay, I discovered that the QA/QC and overall quality on this version are waaaaaay below that of the original.

1) The front windows are misaligned, and when they are closed, the gap between them is much wider at the top than at the bottom

2) The silver paint pales in comparison to the chrome apps on the original

3) Numerous scratches, nicks and chips in the paint

4) Comparatively dull and sloppy paint finish overall (nowhere near as shiny, crisp and sharp as the original)

5) Sloppy sprue removal from the injection molded plastic parts and poor finishing of the diecast prior to painting

6) Plain blue painted eyes instead of the clear blue/chrome finish on the original

7) And, probably my biggest gripe, the waist doesn't lock into place like it should and his top half wants to flop backward when I pick him up

Granted, I only paid $19 for him, so I can't be too bummed about it, but I feel for those that paid full price for such a shoddy fig. If you're looking to pick up this Prime mold, go for an original.

I bought 3 clearanced $20 Primes. None of mine have any of the defects you described about yours.

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How shiny is the paint on the legs and chest? The one I have has fairly dull and uneven paint with a lot of runs and pooling. Plus, I have noticed the uneven windows on a lot of the figs I've seen in stores. Maybe I just got a 5 o'clock special!

I'm not bitching, just disappointed that a fig that originally cost $70+ would get through with so many obvious flaws.

As I said, the paint is fine on mine. My MP-04 however, has alot of the paint issues you describe. Considering he cost ALOT more than $20 and even has the word "Perfect" in his name, that's worth complaining about.

As I said, the paint is fine on mine. My MP-04 however, has alot of the paint issues you describe. Considering he cost ALOT more than $20 and even has the word "Perfect" in his name, that's worth complaining about.

As I said, the paint is fine on mine. My MP-04 however, has alot of the paint issues you describe. Considering he cost ALOT more than $20 and even has the word "Perfect" in his name, that's worth complaining about.

The differences to me seem to be a little exagerrated. I mean granted, the MP Convoy has a more accurate paint scheme and looks cooler, but is that really worth the extra 50-70 bucks?

I guess it depends on who you ask. I just started buying/collecting this week after sitting on the fence about getting any TF for about 5 years, so those extra $70 I saved by buying DVD Prime for $40 allowed me to get a TRU Soundwave and Rodimus Classic.